


family

by bipolaryangxiaolong (rosesandcinnamon)



Category: RWBY
Genre: Gen, characters with mental illnesses, headcanons
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2017-01-05
Updated: 2017-01-05
Packaged: 2018-09-14 21:57:37
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 539
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/9204962
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/rosesandcinnamon/pseuds/bipolaryangxiaolong
Summary: Qrow and Yang have a talk.





	

**Author's Note:**

> shrug emoji? I wrote this while I was having a hard time.  
> PS: summer/qrow stuff is in the works

Qrow had been watching his niece for signs once she was older. He was seeing them. She was sleepless, like him. One night, he could hear the blasts of Ember Celica from the guest room he slept in. and got up to follow the sound. Once he got out to their training ring, he had a fond half-smile. Yang fought like her father, reminding him of days when they were younger and things were- simpler. She practiced her punches and dodged imaginary strikes. Eventually, she slowed, panting.

“What’s up, kid?”

She turned and smiled, knowing he was there.

“Hey, Qrow.”

He settled on the dusty ground, leaning back onto his hands. He adopted a mockingly parental tone.

“What are you doing out this late?”

Yang smiled, but Qrow noted the way she shifted her weight back and forth, rolling up and down on her toes, and he could only imagine the flips and tricks her thoughts were doing.

“I couldn't sleep.”

“Why not?”

She shrugged.

“Thinking too much. And I don't wanna.”

“What are you thinking?”

She gave him a weird look, but answered. She spoke rapidly, and Qrow was reeling inwardly. He hadn't ever seen her depressed, but damn...

“Um, I don't know. Weird stuff. Like, do you ever just not want to be you, and live a different life, and be someone else? I think about that a lot. I think about my mom a lot. What if I could just disappear like she did- I mean, I don't _want_ to…”

She quieted after her outburst, rubbing her neck. Qrow sighed deeply, trying to decide what to say.

“Yang?”

“Yeah?”

“I gotta tell you about something. Come on.”

Yang followed him as as he got up from the ground, and left the training area. He walked to the edge of the lawn, and sat down again in the grass.

“Qrow?”

She sat beside him, hands curling into the stalks, pulling at them.

“When I was your age- don't laugh, listen. I had times where I felt like I could do absolutely anything. I tried to get all the girls, win all the competitions, get all the best grades. I thought I was the coolest kid. Even when it was so clear that I wasn't, I didn't care.”

“What-”

“Not done yet. Then, when I could see that I was definitely not who I thought I was, I crashed. I slept all the time, I never ate, I hated everything about myself and my life. During missions, I was reckless and stupid because I thought I didn't matter. Do you ever feel like that?”

Her silence was answer enough. He sighed, and reached an arm out. She scooted next to him, resting against his shoulder.

“Your mom had it too,” he said, and Yang’s eyes widened at the mention of her mom. “It's something wrong with our brains. Doesn't change who we are or anything, it's just a part of us. Doctors know how to deal with the depression part, but not what they call mania.  It sucks for us because when they treat the depression, they kickstart the mania.”

“Oh.”

He hugs her tighter.

“I’m always here for you, Yang. Whether you’re up or down.”

“Thanks, Qrow.”


End file.
